Composer Eric Ewazen Visits School of Music for Week-Long Residency

October 21, 2024

Eric Ewazen is standing in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in France

Bemidji State University’s music students will spend a week with renowned composer Eric Ewazen leading into a concert featuring performances of his work by a variety of BSU ensembles.

Beginning October 21, Ewazen will work alongside Bemidji State’s music students and faculty during a week-long residency, coaching individual students and ensembles who are performing his works in an October 25 concert featuring his compositions.

Ewazen has been teaching at The Juilliard School for more than 40 years and is widely considered one of the finest living American composers. His stop in Bemidji continues his tradition of traveling to share his expertise with students; according to his website, he has visited nearly 100 colleges and universities around the world.

Ewazen’s works focus on brass instruments, and he is frequently commissioned to write for brass and ensembles — including pieces commissioned to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a U.S. Air Force celebration of the 100th anniversary of powered flight.

Ewazen’s work has been performed all over the world, and he has won numerous awards and prizes for composition. In addition to his position on the Juilliard faculty, Ewazen also has been a lecturer for the New York Philharmonic’s Musical Encounters Series. His compositions have been recorded by dozens of artists, and he has released solo albums featuring chamber music, orchestral and string orchestra, low-brass instrumentals and percussion compositions.

BSU School of Music Presents the Music of Eric Ewazen

The BSU School of Music will assemble to perform pieces composed by Eric Ewazen at an October 25 concert on campus. The concert will feature the Bemidji Low Brass Choir, directed by Ryan Webber, BSU instructor of music; the Bemidji Chamber Orchestra, directed by Dr. Eric Olson, assistant professor of music; the BSU Percussion Ensemble, directed by Eric Sundeen, BSU instructor of music; and the Bemidji Brass Quintet.

The concert will also include a performance of Ewazen’s “Sonata for Trumpet and Piano,” featuring John Kirk, a second-year music student from Bemidji, on trombone and BSU accompanist Dan Will on piano.

Tickets are available for purchase on the Hometown Fan app, available for download on the Apple App Store or on Google Play. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for seniors aged 62-plus and K-12 students. BSU and NTC students are admitted free with valid student IDs.

Concert Information

  • BSU School of Music Presents: The Music of Eric Ewazen
  • Date, Time & Location: Friday, October 25; 7 p.m.; Thompson Recital Hall, Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex, BSU campus
  • Tickets: $10, $8 for K-12 students and seniors 62+; BSU and NTC students free with valid ID
  • To purchase: Download the Hometown Fans app on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.

More Information